Streaming video enables a user to view content while the content is in the process of being delivered. Adaptive or dynamic bit rate streaming provides content which may be adapted in order accommodate the performance of a user's network.
Dynamic streaming is the process of efficiently delivering streaming video to users by dynamically switching among different content streams of varying quality and size during playback.
For adaptive bit rate streaming, content files are segmented into smaller portions with each portion having its own Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The timing associated with each portion of content is provided to a content provider via a downloaded manifest. As a non-limiting example, a manifest may be configured as Extensible Markup Language (XML).
Rate adaptation is performed using multiple URLs for each content file, which are encoded using varying formats, which results in a variety of file sizes associated with a content file.
Conventional systems download and render content via a linear time sequence with an associated starting location and ending location. Conventional systems perform well for viewing prior portions of content (e.g. rewind), however, viewing future portions of content (e.g. skipping forward or fast forward) results in poor access as presented content may cease providing access while new information is downloaded and buffered.
What is needed are improved methods for providing access to streaming content.